


Happily Haunted

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: Penelope wants to bring everyone together for some happy news, and she figured the best way to do that was with a murder mystery escape room. But will everything work out as she planned?
Kudos: 4





	Happily Haunted

Penelope smiled at the trio waiting for her as she approached the house where she had set up this little murder mystery party to happen. It had cost her a pretty penny, but it had felt right when she had gotten news that she had never expected to hear. Giving them all a small wave, she locked her car before jogging over to their sides, unsurprised when one of the trio hugged her tightly. "After nine years, it is extremely good to see you," she murmured as she stepped away from Erin Strauss's embrace.

"Likewise. And I did just like you said, telling no one about my decision to come out of witness protection. I'm just a little worried about David, and how he'll react. I mean, we are all almost a decade older."

"Eh, I think his ticker can take it, Erin. Now, let's head inside so that we can all run through what is going to happen tonight before the others get here." Erin nodded, and to Penelope's surprise, took hold of her hand as they followed the others inside. "All right, so, I'm going to be the victim of this little affair, and the others are going to have to try and put together who did the deed and why, correct?"

"That is the plan, yes. As soon as you're taken care of, the others will receive their envelopes, telling one of them who is the killer, while also pairing up everyone to hunt through their assigned room, picking up clues in their allotted time before meeting back down in the library. Erin will be in the attic, waiting to approach the brave soul assigned to speaking to the spirit of the dead."

Penelope nodded in eager excitement, noticing for the first time that Erin was dressed all in white, looking like she had stepped out of the angelic choir. With her hair now reaching the middle of her shoulder blades, she certainly looked like one of the heavenly host. "That sounds perfect," she breathed out. "Now, since the others are supposed to be here in fifteen minutes, I think that we should all get in place, yes?"

Erin nodded as the younger of the men guided her from the foyer, and Penelope listened to their footsteps fade away up the stairs before turning her full attention on the person she'd set up everything with. "After you die in the game, you'll be joining me in the observation room, since you wanted to see what happened with the others. Or did you change your mind about that?"

"No, Matt, I really want to see what happens when different people are thrown together. That was why I asked fourteen people to join us here this evening. Dynamics are definitely going to shift and change, depending on who you put together."

He nodded and gave her a small wink. "And you're certain you don't want to peek at the pairings?"

She shook her head, giving him a small shrug. "I think that it will be fun to have a few surprises," she replied as she heard the first vehicle pull in. "All right, I'll head to the door and let them in, directing them to the library."

"All right." Matt gave her a wide smile as he followed her for a moment before veering off and heading for the library while she went over to the door and opened it, waiting to see who had arrived first. She wasn't too surprised when she saw Hotch and Jessica approach the porch, and she lifted her hand to wave at them, only for her grin to widen when she saw Alex right behind them.

"Well, I was not expecting you to be the first trio here. That eager to solve a murder mystery?" she teased before hugging Jessica quickly. A part of her wanted to also hug Hotch and Alex, but wasn't certain how they would react. Penelope relaxed as Alex was the one to step forward first, giving her a warm hug.

"It is so good to see you, Penelope. I'm just sorry that James couldn't get away for this, since he needs a way to relax. But unfortunately, he's been seconded to a hospital in Bristol."

"Too bad for him, he is going to miss out on a wonderful evening!" She pressed a kiss to Alex's cheek quickly before pulling away to look into Hotch's eyes. "It is so good to see you again, Boss Man."

"We had a Zoom meeting last week."

Reaching out, she smacked his chest lightly before allowing him to tug her into his arms, breathing in the wonderful scent of his aftershave. "There is a huge difference between looking at you through a computer screen and being able to touch you, Hotch." Before she could second guess herself, she pulled away from him a little and kissed him quickly, trying not to blush when she saw the quick, roguish, grin that swept across his face.

"That is very true."

Penelope tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before taking a deep breath. "All right, we're all meeting in the library first, to get our assignments. It's the second door on the left hand side of the hall, but it should be open, since Matt's in there waiting for us all to arrive."

The trio nodded before disappearing into the house. Penelope decided to stay outside on the porch, and so was able to watch as Rossi drove up a few minutes later. She was a bit shocked, however, to see that he had a carload of people. To her surprise, Reid and Max got out of the back of the Cadillac, along with Tara. As she waved them over, Rossi helped Krystall out of the passenger side of the car, and she fought to keep from sighing in frustration, as she had hoped that the woman would back out. A part of her had been hoping that she could get Rossi and Erin alone together, so that the old spark that they had would light to fire once more. But with Krystall there, that would not be happening.

"This is going to be so cool!" Reid said as he waved at her. Max rolled her eyes a little before patting Reid's chest. "How many of us are going to participate?"

"There are going to be seventeen of us, including the people who helped me get this set up. It's good to see you, Ashley! Thanks for agreeing to his little bit of madness. I just wanted to get as many of us together as possible, and this seemed like a fun way to do that. If you want to head inside, the library is where we're all ending up before things really get under way."

The trio nodded and headed in as Dave and Krystall ambled up to greet her. She could tell by the look on the older woman's face that she was not exactly happy to be there that evening, and it was very difficult for Penelope not to act a little smug as she let Rossi hug her tightly. "Did I hear that Aaron is going to be here, Kitten?"

"You heard right, and you're late if you wanted to get here before him. He and Jessica were the first to arrive." Rossi chuckled as he kissed her cheek. "I'll see you inside after everyone arrives. Just six more to arrive, and I would bet dollars to doughnuts that my Boo will be the last one to appear." He nodded as he slipped his arm around Krystall's waist. "Head inside and find the library where everyone is waiting." Another nod, and then they were heading inside. As soon as she was certain Rossi's wife couldn't see her, she made a little face at her back before turning back to watch for her other guests to arrive. In quick succession, a series of cars drove up, parking next to each other, and then everyone else was trooping up to her.

She couldn't help but notice that Luke gave Morgan a thoroughly black look when he pulled Penelope into his arms and gave her a bear hug, pressing his lips first to her cheek and then to her lips. "It is so good to see you, Baby Girl! It has been far too long since we were together!"

"You know it, Sugar. Now, since we're all here at last, lets head inside, and get things underway. I really hope you're all ready for a super fun evening, because I know that I sure am! And Em, it's good to see you here alone, otherwise our numbers would have been off. Is your guy doing all right in Colorado?"

"He is, but I am looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with him, though." She nodded as she took hold of her friend's hand and brought them inside the house, listening to Tara and JJ chatter away behind them as someone closed the door. "Wow, you really did manage to get the whole gang back together again! But where's Matt and Lisa?"

"Their little ones got sick, and so they had to back out at the last minute. And yes, I am missing them, but I'm so glad that so many of you were able to join me here tonight. All right, who's ready to either be murdered or hunt down a murderer?"

"I think this will be quite easy for us, Kitten, since we're mostly profilers here."

"Not everyone, though! And I do believe that the outliers will be the ones who lead the way, since sometimes it's easier for an outsider to think outside the box. But before we get down to business, I think that we should introduce ourselves. There are a few unfamiliar faces here tonight."

It didn't take long for them to go around the room, and as soon as Penelope gave her name, the lights in the library cut off, and she felt Matt touch her shoulder before whispering in her ear. "All right, Penelope, it's time to play dead."

Nodding, she carefully fell to the carpet, arranging her body to look like one of the many bodies she had seen over the course of her time with the BAU, trying to look as naturally dead as possible, even though she knew that everyone would know that it was all part of the game. She didn't know whether or not to close her eyes, but then the lights were coming back up, so she left the open, trying not to smile or act alive. "Why does it not surprise me that Baby Girl would be the one to die?" she heard Morgan say, only for Blake and Hotch to chuckle in response. It took everything in her not to react to that, as she didn't want to ruin the illusion that was being set up.

"All right, now is where the fun begins. I will be handing out envelopes with the room that you'll be assigned to gather clues from, and what role you have. There's one murderer amongst you, and it's up to the other thirteen gathered to put together the clues and figure out who that is." Penelope listened to Matt go around the room, randomly handing out assignments to people. "And yes, we fully realise that you might not be paired up with the people you arrived here with, but that's part of the fun. Good luck, you have three hours to solve the case or fail. The last group we hosted was able to solve things in just under two and a half hours, but since you're mostly former profilers, Penelope expects better of you."

She had to stifle the giggle that rose to her lips as a few of her friends groaned in response to that news as they opened their envelopes. "How will we know which rooms to go to?" Reid asked, and Penelope smiled to hear that he was the first one to ask a question.

"All the doors are labelled, so you'll know when you've found the right one. All right, any other questions?" Matt waited for a few seconds before speaking once more. "Then the time begins now. Good luck!"

Penelope listened to everyone shuffle out of the room, but still waited for Matt to give her the all clear before she got to her feet. "And now it's time to spy! Oh, I hope that Rossi ends up in the attic. Or Krystall. Now that the time is here, I don't know which thought thrills be more!"

Matt laughed as he guided her back to the control center. She took a seat in one of the chairs and scanned the monitors to see who was where. A devilish little smirk spread across her lips when she saw that Derek and Luke had ended up together, and she turned up the volume so that she could listen to their conversation. "So, you and Penelope were a thing?" Luke asked, a possessive tone in his voice.

Derek chuckled as he shrugged. "I guess you could say that she was the one that got away. I still think of her fondly, even if I'm with Savannah. Why? Are you dating her?"

"No, not any longer. I thought that she was going to be the one, but it seemed like she only had me in her life as a way to stop being lonely."

Derek nodded a little, as if he could tell the truth of the matter without Luke having to say another word, and then they were getting down to business, searching the room for their clues to help solve the case. From the corner of her eye, Penelope watched as Jessica stealthily snuck into the bedroom with the men and crept over to Luke's side before clapping a hand over his mouth and slapping a bright red sticker to the center of his chest before she crept out just as quietly without Derek even noticing her.

Penelope giggled, knowing that Jessica would be the last person that anyone expected to be the murderer, and Matt nodded. "Did you plan that, then?"

"I had a little bit of leeway when it came to assignments, yes, and went with the typical final girl. Somehow, I have the feeling that this will just make things all the more difficult for them. One second." He leaned into the microphone in front of him and pressed a button in the base. "All right, if the person who was just murdered will head back to the library, the game will continue. What will come first? Everyone succumbing to the blade of the killer? Or time running out? Good luck!"

"That's so vicious, I love it!" she cackled as she turned her attention from the screen showing her Luke and Derek's room, looking for the attic. She was hoping that Rossi would end up there, since she truly wanted him to come face to face with Erin. To her surprise, he was there, along with Hotch, and she felt her eyes widen a little as she called that monitor up in order to focus on it fully. "Oh, this is not what I planned, but chaos can be fun," Penelope whispered as she watched the screen intently.

"…I didn't know that she'd contacted you, Hotch."

"Yes, well, it was a welcome call. Jack is able to catch up with old friends this weekend, and I get to have a bit of fun with my friends and family."

"And maybe get some more time with Kitten?"

Penelope felt her cheeks turn red with a deep blush as she waited for Hotch to answer. "There is that, though I doubt she'd look at me that way."

"You'd be surprised," Rossi replied as the lights in the attic began to flicker. "Fuck, I hope that we don't lose power. I know how much this evening means to Kitten, and I'd hate to have it ruined by something like that."

Hotch shook his head a little. "I think that this might have something to do with the game. Look, there's a clue envelope here," he said as he went over to an old leather trunk, picking it up before breaking the seal. "There are old ghosts who haunt the house, and they see everything that goes on. If you're brave enough to encounter one such spirit this evening, ask them a few questions to find out if there are any clues offered to you."

"Well, that's a little cryptic and spooky," Rossi muttered as he stroked his goatee. "Though I'd expect nothing less from Kitten. A bit spooky, but nothing to scare us outright."

Hotch nodded as he began to look around the room. "Do you think that she invited others here, people we didn't see when we first arrived, to throw us off our game?"

"I wouldn't put anything past her, actually. She's clever, and she would want us to have a few surprises."

A quiet sound in the room must have caught their attention, as both their heads turned to look at the darkened corner of the attic. Slowly, Erin stepped forward, a hesitant smile on her lips. "The person that you seek, who has taken out three of the party so far, is someone that you would least expect. But be careful, as they have the element of surprise on their side, as evidenced by the fact that they have yet to be caught."

"Erin?" Rossi asked as he stepped towards her. "What?"

"I aged out of the Program, and when there was no hint of any danger for me, I was allowed to come back to life. Penelope was able to ferret out that, and then set up this little party. It was the easiest way that we could come up with to reintroduce me to the friends I had left behind. Don't worry, she also told me that you're married, or remarried to Krystall."

Rossi nodded as he took another step towards Erin, reaching out his hand until he was touching Erin. Even though the quality of the picture wasn't the best, Penelope could see that he was crying in the moments before he wrapped Erin up in a tight hug. "Oh, I have so much to ask you."

"You can choose to stay with the spirit until the end of the game, if you wish. It will be added to the gameplay."

Rossi nodded before looking at Hotch. "I think that this is my cue to let you go things alone. You should band together with the others who have had their partner taken by the murderer and see if you can figure out which one of us it is."

Hotch nodded before reaching out and patting Erin's shoulder. "When the game is over, we'll have to get together and have a nice long talk. I'll be in the area for a few weeks, since Jack is looking at colleges out East."

"I think that would be lovely, Aaron," she replied softly before taking hold of Rossi's arm and leading him over to an ornate, though dilapidated, bed. As they sat down to talk, Penelope focused on Hotch once more, watching him give the pair a bemused smile before he left the attic with the envelope still in his hands. A part of Penelope wanted to stay with Rossi and Erin, to see if they were going to reconcile, like she wanted to happen, but she also wanted to peek in on what the others were doing. Letting out a deep sigh, she tore her gaze away from the attic and looked at the monitors for a new couple to spy on, wanting to see if anyone was close to guessing that Jessica was their quite efficient killer.

Noticing that Will and Reid were together, she focused on their screen, knowing that between the two of them, they were bound to get close to the truth. "So, if we consider that the killer is randomly chosen, and we know it's not the two of us, or Garcia, that leaves us a one in twelve chance of getting it right."

"One in ten, Spence. Remember? There was that announcement from the host that announced two of us had been murdered by the unsub."

"That's right. And the clue in our room intimates that…"

Penelope had wanted to continue focusing on them when she noticed that there was action happening up in the attic and she turned her attention back to that monitor, wishing that she could somehow zoom in on the bed in order to get a clearer picture of what was happening up there. Still, she was able to pick out the fact that Rossi had wrapped Erin up in his arms and they were kissing softly. A part of her felt like a voyeur when she saw that his hand was creeping up under Erin's diaphanous blouse, and she could clearly hear the woman gasp and groan when his hand stroked her breasts.

"David, we can't do this. You're married," she finally managed to say, and Penelope felt strangely disappointed by that statement, since she didn't want Rossi with Krystall, she wanted him with Erin, since they truly belonged together. Krystall was nothing more than a fake person, that there had been a reason they had split up the first time, and it was not healthy to try out marriage once more. Pouting, Penelope watched as Rossi sat up and ran his hand through his white hair as he nodded.

"I know, but I've just been so overwhelmed to see you here, alive. I've wished for one more minute with you since the moment I was in the coroner's office, looking at your supposed dead body."

"I had to play the part, David. We saw what happened to Haley, and after Emily came back from the dead, well, I knew that to make it most believable, I had to go almost all the way. It was disheartening, at first, to be dead, but after having my children read into the truth, it became easier. And while I would love to have you back, you're with your wife, and I don't want to be a homewrecker."

Rossi nodded as he reached out and clasped her hands. "It's hard to believe that a decade can just slip away like this and I can feel as if no time at all has passed. I, I feel like I should be angry, but seeing you here has just made me realise how much I missed you."

"I missed you, too, but I couldn't ever think about that, since I wanted you to move forward with your life, and I wanted to move forward with mine. Even if I have felt like I've been in a weird sort of limbo until this moment. Oh, I cannot wait to meet with the others who are here and just have this all be over and done with so that I can truly start living once more."

As Rossi gave her another small nod, Penelope felt like she shouldn't eavesdrop on them any longer, so she called up the monitor to peek in on Krystall and Alex. Penelope wasn't surprised to find that the blonde was staring off into nothing as Alex paced the room, their clues in her hand. "You could help me out with this, you know," Alex bit out, sounding thoroughly frustrated with Krystall.

"I didn't want to come in the first place, but Davey insisted that it would be good for me to be with the team, especially the ones I haven't interacted with much over the years. I hate things like this, and only came to humor him. Besides, I think that he wants to find the next Mrs. Rossi, and who better than his precious Kitten?"

She was surprised at the vitriol in Krsytall's voice, since she had always been friendly with her, or so she thought. But this evening was proving to be quite enlightening. Silently, she urged Alex to say something, anything, in defense of her, and from the way that Alex's shoulders tightened, she knew that she was just as upset with the woman as Penelope was. "I think that that is a disgusting thing to say, especially since Penelope has never been the type of person that you're accusing her of being. If anything, the next and final Mrs. Rossi should be Erin, but that can't happen because she's dead."

"He still cries on the anniversary of her death. Hers and Caroline's. I don't understand it, it's been a decade, you would have thought that he could have moved on by now."

"There are some wounds that never seem to heal, and the untimely loss of a love is one of those." Alex looked directly at the camera, as if she knew that it was there, a pained expression on her face that told Penelope she wasn't over losing Erin, either. Almost in tandem, she and Alex drew in long breaths before Alex turned to look at Krystall once more. "Well, if you really don't want to be here, go down to the library and wait for us to finish."

"No, that would be boring, too. Just…tell me what we should be doing, and I'll give the appropriate answers when questioned."

From the way Alex stiffened, Penelope knew that she was rolling her eyes at the woman, and she stifled a giggle as she focused on another pair, only finding a new monitor in time to see Jessica take care of Tara, giving her a small shrug as she sent her down to the library. "This is the most fun I've had in years," Jessica murmured as she slipped out of the room that Tara and Ashley were searching. The door closing caught Ashely's attention, but she just frowned a little before turning her attention back to the clues written down for her.

"And just like that Tara joins the murdered amongst us. Will you lose any more playes before you figure out who the killer in your midst is?" Matt taunted, and Penelope let out a hearty laugh as she saw the groans that everyone still playing let out. Well, everyone except Krystall. It was good to see how into the game they all were, since she hadn't been certain how this would be received.

"Is Jessica acting off orders?" she finally asked, wondering how she was choosing who to take out.

"Yes, she has a list, in order, of who to take out from each room. That's the beauty of the digital age, I sent her a list once she had the correct envelope. One second. He turned on the microphone once more. "This is your ninety minute warning. Who will win?"

That seemed to galvanize the remaining players, and she smiled to see how they started to leave their rooms, meeting in the hall. Jessica hung back at the edge of the group, murmuring something to Max before tugging her towards the stairs and gesturing for her to head to the library. Somehow, that went unnoticed, and Penelope grinned as Jessica melted back into the group. "Hey, where's Rossi?" Reid asked, and in the middle of that distraction, Jessica was able to take out Alex, sending her down to the library before she pushed into the middle of the group.

"He's probably still up in the attic with the ghost. I'll go get him," Hotch replied as he started over towards the stairs. Jess, why don't you come with me?"

That surprised the woman, and in that fraction of a second, Penelope knew that he knew what was up. Grinning, she leaned forward as the two of them climbed the stairs and as they climbed, Hotch spoke about all he knew. "It was Alex, wasn't it?" Jessica finally said loudly, and he shook his head. "Then how?"

"I saw you creeping out after Tara , when she went down to the library, and put things together. But I have something to show you before we head down to the library, because I have the feeling that this will change the ending of Penelope's little murder mystery."

"That's your cue to head to the library and wait for the ending. I'm sorry that you won't get to see the next few minutes play out, but I'll make certain to send you a link to all the video feeds so you can watch everything that went down."

"Sounds good, Matt." She patted his shoulder before leaving the control room and making her way to the library to be with the others who had been murdered. She wasn't particularly looking forward to spending extra time with Luke, but knowing that Alex was there helped set her mind more at ease. "So, do you think you would have figured it out, if you had had more time?" she asked as she entered the room.

Alex shook her head as she smiled at Penelope. Not sparing a second glance for Luke, Penelope went over to Alex and Tara's sides, wanting to start talking to them as they waited for everyone to gather in the library once more. "I would never have thought that Jessica could be a killer. And for her to so stealthily take me out in the middle of the group just boggles my mind. I guess it's true that you have to keep your eye on the quiet ones."

She giggled as she nodded. "Um, before you're blindsided by something that will shortly happen, I have to let you know. It wouldn't be right any other way. Erin's coming out of WitSec."

"We know that Hotch is leaving the Program. He wrote us an email months ago."

"Not Hotch, Alex." Penelope watched the blood drain from Alex's face as she made the connection "That was my reaction, too."

"Reaction to what?" Tara asked, sensing that they were discussing something important.

"The fact that our murdered Section Chief has actually been in the Program for close to a decade and is choosing tonight to reveal herself. She's the spirit in the attic, isn't she?" Penelope nodded. "I don't know if I should be furious with you both or overjoyed with happiness that my friend is still alive."

"Why not both? I know that I wouldn't have a single emotion when faced with news like that. Didn't Emily also come back from the dead?" Tara asked as they moved over to the fireplace, and Penelope nodded. "That is so weird, but given the amount of weird shit I've seen on this job, I don't doubt anything that happens any more. I mean, Mulder and Scully could tell us that our latest serial case was Bigfoot, and at this point, I'd believe them!"

Penelope started to giggle lowly, carefully watching Alex for her reaction. It took a moment, but then she was letting out a loud bark of laughter as she leaned against Penelope's side. "That is a sound I never thought I'd hear again, Lexie."

Their heads shot around to look at Erin standing there, and Penelope grinned to see how Alex nodded slowly as she opened her arms to Erin, welcoming her into a tight hug as they both started to cry a little. "All right, while those two get caught up, does anyone know who murdered me?"

"I figured it out, Penelope. It was my dear sister. And you are entirely right, you do have to keep a close eye on the ones who are quietest."

She nodded as she drifted over to his side, wanting to be closer to him as Matt wrapped everything up. "Do you have time to head out for a cup of coffee after this? I was hoping to catch up a little more with Erin, but somehow, I have the feeling that she'll be busy with Alex tonight."

"I would love that, Penelope, as long as you don't mind Jessica hanging out with us for a bit before heading back to my hotel room for a nightcap?"

Penelope shook her head. "It's been too long since I've talked with Jess for any length of time. This will be perfect."

As Hotch slipped his arm around her waist, they returned their focus to the group, listening to Jessica expound upon how much fun she'd had at playing the unsub for once, and she tried to ignore the black looks that Luke kept sending their way. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer and decided to prove to him once and for all that she didn't like people being overly possessive of her, which had been the reason they had broken up in the first place. Turning to Hotch, she smiled up into his face, gave him a saucy wink, and then leaned up onto her tiptoes to kiss him softly. To her surprise, he returned the kiss, holding her close as they kissed. "You are still a tease," he said softly against her lips as he broke the kiss.

"I am, but sometimes a person just doesn't understand that I'm done means I'm done. I'm just glad that you decided to play along with me. I really do want to catch up with you."

"I do, too, which is why I want to bring you back to my hotel room for a nightcap." She nodded and rested her head on his chest as the group broke up into smaller groups, and Penelope found that after everything that had happened that evening, she would remain happily haunted so long as she had Hotch by her side.


End file.
